Apparatus and method for suspending elevator guide rails

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for suspending elevator guide rails from the top of a hoistway and a method for employing the apparatus to lower guide rails, comprising a string of interconnected discrete guide rail sections, down a hoistway, section by section.

United States Patent Davis APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SUSPENDING ELEVATORGUIDE RAILS Meredith Reese Davis, Roselle, NJ.

Otis Elevator Company, New York, NY.

Filed: Aug. 1, 1974 Appl. No.: 493,942

Inventor:

Assignee:

US. Cl. 29/429; 29/200 P; 29/200 R;

l87/l R Int. Cl B23 19/04 Field of Search 187/1, 2, 6, 20, 95;

52/30, 236, 74l, 745; 29/200 R, 200 P, 429

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Westlake H 29/429 X July 8, 1975Primary Examiner-Even C. Blunk Assistant Examiner.lames L. RowlandAtlomey, Agent, or Firm.l0seph L. Sharon; Robert T. Mayer [5 7 ABSTRACTApparatus for suspending elevator guide rails from the top of a hoistwayand a method for employing the apparatus to lower guide rails,comprising a string of interconnected discrete guide rail sections, downa hoistway, section by section.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 1 APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SUSPENDINGELEVATOR GUIDE RAILS This invention relates to elevators. In particular,it concerns both an arrangement for suspending elevator guide rails fromthe top of a hoistway and a method of employing that arrangement forlowering the guide rails into the hoistway.

In certain types of elevator installations the hoistway, duringconstruction, is accessible from the top only, as is the case with mineelevators. In such installations it is common practice to lower elevatorguide rail sections down the hoistway over the heads of constructionworkers who are waiting to install those sections on the walls of thehoistway to form the elevator guide rails.

It is an object of this invention to make the working conditions ofinstallers of mine elevators safer.

One of the features of the invention is that it enables the elevatorguide rails sections to be lowered down the hoistway shaft without thenecessity of construction workers being located below in the shaft whilethis lowering operation takes place.

Another feature of the invention is that the entire length of elevatorguide rails can be suspended from the top of a hoistway in such a waythat they may be secured to the side walls of the hoistway whileremaining suspended from the top thereof.

According to the invention there is provided apparatus for suspending aT-shaped elevator guide rail in a hoistway shaft. This apparatusincludes a pair of mounting members spanning the top of the hoistway ina direction substantially perpendicular to one side thereof. Thesemounting members are laterally separated sufficiently to enable theguide rail to be suspended between them with the cross-piece of the T ofthe guide rail being disposed substantially perpendicularly to thelongitudinal axis of the mounting members. Also included in theapparatus is a guide unit which is secured to and mounted on themounting members. This guide unit has a slot disposed outwardly towardthe previously mentioned side of the hoistway for receiving the legportion of the T of the suspended guide rail. Support means serving as astop for the guide unit are also provided. This support means rests atopand spans the support members. It is resiliently secured to the guideunit on the outer side thereof for pressing against the back surface ofthe cross-piece of the suspended guide rail. With this apparatus a fishplate fixedly attached to the uppermost portion of the guide rail can besupported by the stop to suspend the guide rail in the hoistway. Inaddition, by locating the mounting members and the guide unit suitablywith respect to the forementioned side of the hoistway it will suspendthe guide rail properly in relation to that side to enable it to besecured thereto while remaining suspended from the top of the hoistway.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from the following description whenconsidered in conjunction with the appended claims and accompanyingdrawing, in which FIG. 1 is a three dimensional pictorial representationof an elevator guide rail suspended in a guide unit according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a three dimensional pictorial representation of the elevatorguide rail of FIG. I suspended in its guide unit taken from a differentangle than FIG. 1',

FIG. 3 is a three dimensional pictorial representation of a pair ofelevator guide rails suspended in their hoistway; and

FIG. 4 is a representation of the guide unit of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawing, in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 thereof, there is shown apair of mounting members 11 and 12 each of which is a suitably sizedchannel iron. These are supported in a satisfactory manner at the top ofhoistway 13 (FIG. 3) to span the hoistway so as to be disposedsubstantially perpendicular to its sides. These mounting members areappropriately separated laterally from each other to enable T-shapedguide rails 15 and 16 to be suspended between them with the crosspieceof each guide rail disposed substantially perpendicularly to thelongitudinal axis of the mounting members.

Guide units 17 and 18 are provided for the guide rails 15 and 16respectively. Each is mounted on mounting members 11 and 12 and securedthereto in any suitable manner, such as through the use of rail clips(not shown). Each of these guide units is provided with a slot 20 (FIG.4) appropriately sized to receive the leg portion of the T of itsassociated guide rail. For this purpose each of the guide units ismounted so that its slot 20 is disposed toward the side of the hoistwayto which its associated guide rail is to be secured.

Resiliently secured to respective ones of guide units 17 and 18 aresupport means 21 and 22. For this purpose a bolt 24 is passed througheach side of each guide unit and support means. Fitted over each bolt isa coil spring 25 which is brought into compression by nut 26 beingsuitably threaded onto the associated bolt 24. In this way each of thesupport means is urged against the back surface of the cross-piece ofits suspended guide rail. A rod 28 is suitably pivoted to mountingmembers 11 and 12 at each end thereof. A separate air cord 30 is affixedto each rod 28 and to the associated support means 21 and 22 so thateach support means may be moved away from its associated guide unitagainst the resilient force urging it in the opposite direction bymoving its associated rod 28 away from the respective guide unit.

The foregoing equipment, as will be explained, is employed to lowerguide rails 15 and 16, each comprising a string of interconnecteddiscrete T-shaped guide rail sections, down hoistway shaft 13, sectionby section. Upon completing this lowering operation and while remainingsuspended guide rails 15 and 16 may be secured to the respective sidesof hoistway 13 provided mounting members 11 and 12 and guide units 17and 18 have been located properly with respect to the sides of thehoistway.

The steps to be taken to accomplish the foregoing lowering operationinclude attaching a T-shaped fish plate 32 (FIG. 1) to the back of thecross-piece of a T- shaped guide rail section with the fish plateextending beyond one end of the section. A rail hoisting plate 33 whichsuitably is a short section of T-shaped rail is connected to theextended end of fish plate 32. Hoist plate 33 is appropriately drilledto enable shackle 35 to be attached thereto. An appropriate hoist means36 (FIG. 3) is then connected to this shackle to raise and suspend thisfirst rail section with the fish plate end above the other. The railsection is then lowered with the back of its cross-piece disposedtowards its associated side of the hoistway and with the leg of its T inslot 20 of the associated guide unit 17 or 18.

When fish plate 32 comes to rest on support member 21 or 22 rail hoistplate 33 is removed from fish plate 32 and connected to another suchfish plate which is thereupon connected to a second rail section in amanner similar to the manner fish plate 32 was connected to the firstrail section. This second rail section is raised and suspended by theagency of shackle 35 and the hoisting means 36 until its lower end canbe connected to fish plate 32 to form a fish joint between the first andsecond rail sections. Thereupon the interconnected first and second railsections are raised sufficiently to remove fish plate 32 from contactwith the appropriate support means 21 or 22.

By moving rod 28 away from the guide rail sufficiently, support means 21or 22 is moved away from its associated guide unit 17 or 18 sufficientlyto enable fish plate 32 to be lowered past the respective support means.After this is done the respective support means 21 or 22 is returned topress against the back piece of the second rail section by releasing rod28. The first and second rail sections are then lowered by the hoistingmeans until the fish plate at the end of the second rail section comesto rest on the appropriate support means 21 or 22.

These operations are continued at each side of the hoistway until adesired length of guide rail is suspended on each side. It should beunderstood that if support members 11 and 12 and guide units 17 and 18have been disposed properly with respect to the sides of hoistway l3,and establish the desired distance between guide rails, installers cansecure the guide rails to the respective walls of the hoistway from atemporary moving platform starting at the bottom of the hoistway whilethe rails remain suspended from their uppermost fish plates and supportmembers 21 and 22.

Variations in the foregoing arrangement and the method of employing itwill be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the inventionrelates. Accordingly it is intended that the foregoing description beconsidered illustrative and not limiting in any sense.

What is claimed is:

l. Apparatus for suspending a T-shaped elevator guide rail in a hoistwayshaft to enable it to be secured to one side thereof including;

a pair of mounting members spanning the top of said hoistway in adirection substantially perpendicular to said one side said membersbeing separated laterally sufficiently to enable said guide rail to besuspended between them with the cross-piece of the T of said guide railbeing disposed substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis ofsaid mounting members;

a guide unit for said guide rail secured to and mounted on said mountingmembers and having a slot disposed outwardly toward said one side ofsaid hoistway for receiving the leg portion of the T of said suspendedguide rail; and

support means serving as a stop for said guide unit, said support meansresting atop and spanning said mounting members and being resilientlysecured to said guide unit on the outer side thereof for pressingagainst the back surface of the cross-piece of said suspended guiderail;

whereby a fish plate fixedly attached to the uppermost portion of saidguide rail can be supported by LII said stop to suspend said guide railin said hoistway; said mounting members and said guide unit beingsuitably located with respect to said one side of said hoistway tosuspend said guide rail properly in relation to said one side to enableit to be secured thereto while remaining suspended from the top of saidhoistway.

2. A method of lowering a pair of elevator guide rails, each comprisinga string of interconnected discrete T- shaped guide rail sections, downa hoistway shaft to enable them to be secured to opposite sides thereofincluding the steps of a. fixedly attaching a fish plate to the back ofthe cross-piece of a first one of said T-shaped guide rail sections withthe fish plate extending beyond one end thereof;

b. connecting hoisting means to said first rail section and raising andsuspending said first rail section by said hoisting means with thelongitudinal axis of said section disposed vertically and said one endabove the other;

c. lowering said first rail section by said hoisting means into saidhoistway longitudinally with said one end above the other and the backof its cross piece disposed toward one side of said hoistway until saidfish plate rests upon a first support means located at the top of saidhoistway whereby said rail section suspends from said first supportmeans;

d. disconnecting said hoisting means from said first rail section;

e. repeating step a" with a second guide rail section;

f. repeating step b" with said second guide rail section;

g. while maintaining said second guide rail section suspended by saidhoisting means fixedly attaching the back of the cross-piece of theother end of said second rail section to the extended end of the fishplate of said first section;

h. raising said attached first and second rail sections sufficiently toremove the fish plate of said first section from contact with said firstsupport means;

i. withdrawing said first support means sufficiently from its positionunder the fish plate of said first section to permit said fish plate topass by it upon said interconnected rail sections being lowered intosaid hoistway;

j. lowering said interconnected rail sections until the fish plate offirst section is below said first support means;

k. returning said first support means to its original position;

. lowering said interconnected rail sections by said hoisting meansuntil the fish plate of said second section rests upon said firstsupport means;

m. repeating step d" for said second rail section;

n. continuing to repeat steps e through m" for additional rail sectionsuntil a desired length of the first of said pair of guide rails issuspended in the hoistway from said first support means;

0. repeating steps 21" through n" for the second of said pair of guiderails by the reuse of said hoisting means and the use of a secondsupport means in place of said first support means.

1. Apparatus for suspending a T-shaped elevator guide rail in a hoistwayshaft to enable it to be secured to one side thereof including; a pairof mounting members spanning the top of said hoistway, in a directionsubstantially perpendicular to said one side, said members beingseparated laterally sufficiently to enable said guide rail to besuspended between them with the cross-piece of the T of said guide railbeing disposed substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis ofsaid mounting members; a guide unit for said guide rail secured to andmounted on said mounting members and having a slot disposed outwardlytoward said one side of said hoistway for receiving the leg portion ofthe T of said suspended guide rail; and support means serving as a stopfor said guide unit, said support means resting atop and spanning saidmounting members and being resiliently secured to said guide unit on theouter side thereof for pressing against the back surface of thecross-piece of said suspended guide rail; whereby a fish plate fixedlyattached to the uppermost portion of said guide rail can be supported bysaid stop to suspend said guide rail in said hoistway; said mountingmembers and said guide unit being suitably located with respect to saidone side of said hoistway to suspend said guide rail properly inrelation to said one side to enable it to be secured thereto whileremaining suspended from the top of said hoistway.
 2. A method oflowering a pair of elevator guide rails, each comprising a string ofinterconnected discrete T-shaped guide rail sections, down a hoistwayshaft to enable them to be secured to opposite sides thereof includingthe steps of a. fixedly attaching a fish plate to the back of thecross-piece of a first one of said T-shaped guide rail sections with thefish plate extending beyond one end thereof; b. connecting hoistingmeans to said first rail section and raising and suspending said firstrail section by said hoisting means with the longitudinal axis of saidsection disposed vertically and said one end above the other; c.lowering said first rail section by said hoisting means into saidhoistway longitudinally with said one end above the other and the backof its cross-piece disposed toward one side of said hoistway until saidfish plate rests upon a first support means located at the top of saidhoistway whereby said rail section suspends from said first supportmeans; d. disconnecting said hoisting means from said first railsection; e. repeating step ''''a'''' with a second guide rail section;f. repeating step ''''b'''' with said second guide rail section; g.while maintaining said second guide rail section suspended by saidhoisting means fixedly attaching the back of the cross-piece of theother end of said second rail section to the extended end of the fishplate of said first section; h. raising said attached first and secondrail sections sufficiently to remove the fish plate of said firstsection from contact with said first support means; i. withdrawing saidfirst support means sufficiently from its position under the fish plateof said first section to permit said fish plate to pass by it upon saidinterconnected rail sections being lowered into said hoistway; j.lowering said interconnected rail sections until the fish plate of firstsection is below said first support means; k. returning said firstsupport means to its original position; l. lowering said interconnectedrail sections by said hoisting means until the fish plate of said secondsection rests upon said first support means; m. repeating step ''''d''''for said second rail section; n. continuing to repeat steps ''''e''''through ''''m'''' for additional rail sections until a desired length ofthe first of said pair of guide rails is suspended in the hoistway fromsaid first support means; o. repeating steps ''''a'''' through ''''n''''for the second of said pair of guide rails by the reuse of said hoistingmeans and the use of a second support means in place of said firstsupport means.